Research Summary. Using public government and company data along with information from thousands of job postings, our Zippia data experts have identified a variety of high-earning positions and their average annual salaries. Using that data set, our data scientsts have produced salary estimates for many of the jobs at McDonald’s.
Here is a quick overview of our findings for the highest-paying jobs at McDonald’s:
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Shift Manager is the highest-paying job at McDonald’s with an average salary of $27,926 and an average hourly rate of $13.43.
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The second highest-paying job at McDonald’s is team leader, with an average salary of $26,420.
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The average annual salary at McDonald’s is $25,163 per year, and the average hourly pay is $12.10.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Sometimes people know which company they want to work for before they know exactly what job they want to do. If you’d like to work for McDonald’s, it helps to have an idea of the highest-paid positions that the company offers. That way, you can see if it’s worth applying.
So, how much do McDonald’s employees make? As with any company, McDonald’s employees’ salaries can fluctuate depending on their role, level of experience, and geographic location, but there are a few standout jobs that tend to pay more than the rest, on average. Here are some of the top salaries at McDonald’s:
Below is a full table of the jobs at McDonald’s that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest Paying Jobs At McDonald’s
| Rank | Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shift Manager | |
| 2 | Team Leader | |
| 3 | Shift Supervisor | |
| 4 | Swing Manager | |
| 5 | Crew Trainer | |
| 6 | Customer Service Representative | |
| 7 | Floor Supervisor | |
| 8 | Grill Cook | |
| 9 | Food Service Worker | |
| 10 | Cashier | |
| 11 | Cook/Server | |
| 12 | Crew Member |
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can see a detailed methodology.
Highest Paying Jobs At McDonald’s FAQs
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What is the highest-paid job at McDonald’s?
The highest-paid job at McDonald’s is a shift manager. These professionals earn an average salary of $27,926, which works out to about $ 13.43 per hour.
The top 10 highest-paid jobs at McDonald’s are:
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What is a good salary at McDonald’s?
A good salary at McDonald’s is a salary above $25,163 per year. $25,163 is the average salary at McDonald’s, so if you’re earning more than that, you’re typically doing well.
Of course, $25,163 may still be far too low for some positions, so pay close attention to what the going average is for someone in your role with your skill set and experience level. If you find that you’re being paid less, consider asking for a raise or finding out what you need to do to move into the next pay bracket.
Your salary may vary by location as well, as McDonald’s – like many other companies – often adjusts its payscales to account for differences in the cost of living in different states. For example, the average salary of a McDonald’s employee in Massachusetts will likely be much higher than their counterpart in the midwest.
Check the average salaries of McDonald’s employees in your area to see how your paycheck measures up.
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Do jobs at McDonald’s pay well?
No, jobs at McDonald’s don’t pay well. The average starting salary at McDonald’s is $17,000 a year or $8.17 per hour. The overall average salary at McDonald’s is $25,163 per year ($12.10 per hour), which is 0.6 times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
Vudu, one of McDonald’s’s top competitors, pays its employees an average salary of $67,887 per year or $32.64 per hour. This is about $42,724 more than McDonald’s’s average salary, and $20.54 more per hour than McDonald’s’s average hourly pay.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
